Suicide pod now legal in Switzerland

Switzerland has legalised a “suicide machine”, named Sarco, which allows users to kill themselves relatively painlessly by inducing hypoxia and hypocapnia (the state of inadequate oxygen supply at the tissue level and reduced carbon dioxide in the blood leading to death).

Shaped like a coffin, the euthanasia device allows its occupant to bring the oxygen level inside the glass capsule down to a critical level with just the blink of an eye, the Independent UK reported citing the machine’s creators.

The machine is taken to the preferred location of the user and then the biodegradable capsule is detached from the base in order to serve as a coffin.

Dr Philip Nitschke, the director of the non-profit organisation Exit International, also known as “Dr Death,” is the mind behind the suicide pod.

Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and around 1,300 people used the services of euthanasia organisations last year. “Barring any unforeseen difficulties, we hope to be ready to make Sarco available for use in Switzerland next year. It’s been a very expensive project so far but we think we’re pretty close to implementation now,” Dr Philip Nitschke said.

However, Nitschke received adverse reactions because of the method used by his machine. “Some have even said that it’s just a glorified gas chamber,” the Independent reported.

Some even opined that the machine glorifies and glamorises suicide.

At present, only two Sarco prototypes exist, but Exit International is 3D printing a third machine and it is expected to be ready for operation in Switzerland next year.